AFL-CIO. Connecticut State Labor Council

Formed 1957 by merger of Connecticut Federation of Labor and Connecticut State Industrial Union Council; represents affiliated unions in legislative and educational concerns; also known as CSLC.

In 1957, the Connecticut Federation of Labor and the Connecticut State Industrial union Council ( CSIUC ) merged to form the Connecticut State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, generally referred to today as the Connecticut State AFL-CIO . The stated purpose of the new organization was to provide a more effective means of promoting and coordinating the principles and objectives of the AFL-CIO in Connecticut .

The first joint Connecticut AFL-CIO convention was held in Hartford at Footguard Hall on 13 June 1957. Installed as officers of the Council were Mitchell Sviridoff, President; Joseph Rourke, Secretary-Treasurer and Legislative Agent; Timothy Collins, Vice President; and John Driscoll, Executive Secretary. The constitution drafted by a joint CFL-CSIUC merger committee was unanimously approved by convention delegates.

By 1958, the State Labor Council numbered 644 affiliated unions representing a membership of 155,823 Connecticut wage earners. The Council's net operating capital was $22,462,14. Keith Proudy was added to the Council staff as a full-time Research Director. The following year, a year round Committee on Political Education (COPE) was established for the state of Connecticut . In 1961, Madeline Matchko and Joseph Pennaro joined the Council staff as full-time COPE coordinators under the direction of Ruth Warren Greenberg, Director of Education. By the end of the year, the Council represented over eighty percent of the AFL-CIO affiliated unions in the state of Connecticut .

The year 1962 saw major changes in the state AFL-CIO . Twenty-one new affiliates increased Council membership by 2,117 members. The Council purchased a new office building located at 9 Washington Street, Hamden, CT . Changes in leadership occurred: John Driscoll succeeded Mitchell Sviridoff as Council President; Frances Jones was replaced by Daniel Gallagher as Executive Secretary.

Dwindling cash reserves in 1963 resulted in a reduction of full-time Council staff positions. Despite the economic downturn, the Council was able to increase its membership by adding twenty-five new affiliates. Secretary Joseph Rourke departed after eighteen years of combined AFL/CSLC service to become Deputy Director of the national COPE, and was replaced by Joseph Bober . Keith Proudy also left the Council to become Research Director for the United Rubber Workers . His duties were incorporated into the responsibilities of Education Director Ruth Greenberg.

In 1964, the Council devoted the bulk of its resources to meeting the conservation challenge of presidential candidate, Barry Goldwater . An additional full-time staff position was regained through a grant received by the Council from the Eleanor Roosevelt Foundation . After the election of Lyndon Johnson, the Council turned its attention toward state politics, calling for a constitutional convention to redress the grievances of Connecticut labor. President Driscoll pledged greater involvement by the State AFL-CIO in education and anti-poverty programs.

1966 marked the emergence of the state AFL-CIO COPE organization as a major force in Connecticut politics. Labor outreach was greatly enhanced by the addition of a computer to the committee's voter registration file, giving Council access to thousands of Connecticut voters. In addition, a conference of state central labor councils organized by COPE participated in the formation of a Union Label Services and Trade Council to promote the purchase of union goods and services. The Council's fiscal state improved over previous years', and net operating capital reached a record high of $87,000.

In 1967, the Council celebrated its tenth anniversary. Since the merger of the two labor councils in 1967, ninety percent of all AFL-CIO unions in Connecticut were affiliated with the state SFL-CIO. Despite record high employment and wages in Connecticut, due in part to U.S. involvement in Vietnam, President Driscoll, in his address to the state AFL-CIO biennial convention, called for joint planning by state government and industry leaders for the eventual transition to a peacetime economy.

Efforts toward continuing prosperity, however, were counteracted by a period of internal strife. The suspension of the United Automobile Workers by the AFL-CIO in 1969 resulted in a major setback for the state AFL-CIO . Thirty-four AUW locals with a combined membership of 42,924 withdrew from Connecticut State AFL-CIO . Legislative gains, in comparison to previous years, were modest. By the end of 1969, membership dropped to 141,780.

During the 1970s, the state AFL-CIO participated in several nation-wide labor struggles. These included strikes by the United Farmworkers and the Coalition of Grape Growers . Efforts of the Council to organize public service employees continued with notable success achieved among hospital and convalescent home employees. The Council also aided the United Steel Workers in drives to extend the benefits of collective bargaining to employees of International Silver in Wallingford and Meriden, adding 4,000 new members to the state AFL-CIO . Substantial organizational gains were also made by the Connecticut Federation of Teachers with Council assistance. Despite a steady decline in affiliated locals due to layoffs in civilian and military production plants, overall Council membership rose ten percent.

Unemployment in the mid-1970s, however, continued to hamper the ability of the Council to function effectively. Gains made in organizing public and municipal employees were offset by failures to organize bank and insurance company employees. Efforts to bring about legislative reforms in the area of unemployment compensation and collective bargaining were frustrated by Governor Meskill and by the desertion of key democratic legislators. By the end of 1972, an additional thirteen locals with a combined membership of 1,047 disaffiliated. Three locals went out of existence entirely.

In 1973, Hank Kershner retired as Executive Vice President and was succeeded by Justin Ostro, former President of the Hartford Labor Council . Inflation and unemployment continued to be the Council's primary concern. Despite wage increases in 1973 and 1974, Connecticut workers were unable to keep pace with the rate of inflation. Long sought AFL-CIO sponsored legislation granting binding arbitration to municipal employees was passed in 1975. However, efforts by the Council to expand state unemployment benefits failed.

In 1976, Wallace M. O'Connor succeeded Joseph Bober as Secretary-Treasurer and Legislative Agent. Michael Ferrucci assumed the position of Executive Secretary. Jobs programs and state tax reform were singled out as central issues for the 1976 State AFL-CIO convention. Assistance rendered by the Council to striking locals doubled over the previous year. Executive Vice President Justin Ostro played a leading role in the resolution of work stoppages at the Connecticut Red Cross and Electric Boat .

The Council's twentieth anniversary in 1977 was marked by change and cutbacks in Council services. The state legislative session moved from a biennial to an annual session, prompting the Connecticut State AFL-CIO to adopt an annual convention. Despite intensive lobbying by Council officers and COPE, the Connecticut legislature approved legislation sponsored by the Connecticut Bureau and Industry Association (CBIA) withholding unemployment benefits from workers who quit or were fired from their jobs. The Council was able to make some organizational gains among CTF, ACTWU, ILGWU and hospital workers. The closing of the Dictaphone and Uniroyal companies in 1978, however, reflected the growing impact of foreign goods and competition on Connecticut industry. Faced with a budget deficit of $11,000 in fiscal 1978/1979, Council officers and full-time professional staff voluntarily suspended wage and cost of living increases mandated by the CSLC constitution. Although the demand for Council services continued to grow, further reductions in Council staff left only two full-time officers, two full-time staff members, one part-time editor, one full-time Secretary-treasurer/Legislative Agent, and one part-time President. Moreover, Council officers and full-time professional staff did not have a pension fund or retirement plan.

In 1979, twenty new locals affiliated with the state AFL-CIO, resulting in a net gain of 2,677 members. John Driscoll entered his twenty-second year as President of the state AFL-CIO . Gordon Sawyer was elected Vice President, replacing Justin Ostro, and Dominic Badolato became Executive Secretary. Betty Tianti, formerly head of COPE, became Executive Vice President in 1981, and Carol Colbeth assumed the responsibilities of COPE Director. Substantial gains were made by the Council among AFSCME, International Communications Workers of America, and Service Employees International . Twenty-seven affiliated locals, of which twenty-two locals were unable to meet their per capita assessment, were forced to disaffiliate resulting in a loss of 7,230 members.

In 1981, the State AFL-CIO celebrated its twentieth anniversary in conjunction with the Centennial celebration of the American Labor Movement. Following the annual state labor convention, 10,500 Connecticut AFL-CIO members participated in the Great Solidarity March in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the national AFL-CIO .